A MAN has been jailed for six months after sexually assaulting a 16-year-old girl as she was travelling on a train to Blackburn.

Blackburn Magistrates Court heard how Daniel Smith, 28 carried out the attack on the ‘terrified’ girl who was on the phone to her boyfriend at the time.

MORE TOP STORIES:

The court heard how the victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, had been travelling on the 8.55pm service from Preston to Mill Hill Station in Blackburn on June 10 2015, when Smith entered the carriage and sat next to her.

Despite her being on the phone, he began making lewd and sexual comments before touching her chest and refusing to stop when she asked him to.

When she tried to move away, Smith, who was sat on her bag straps, refused to move so she could not leave her seat.

When she eventually managed to flee and leave the train she raised the alarm at a shop close to Mill Hill station.

Shortly afterwards, Smith was identified by a British Transport Police officer at Preston station and arrested. Speaking after the case, investigating officer Sgt Peter Wilcock said: “This young girl was left terrified and severely distressed by the actions of Smith.

“She left the train shaken and crying and reported what had happened immediately which aided the almost immediate arrest of Smith, preventing him from subjecting any other victims to a similar ordeal,” he went on to say.

“No-one should be subject to unwelcome sexual behaviour on the rail network and we will do everything in our power to find those responsible and, as in Smith’s case, bring them before the courts.

“Our Report It to Stop It campaign, which aims to combat unwanted sexual behaviour on the railway by encouraging members of the public to report it, is proving very successful in supporting victims and bringing perpetrators of these crimes to justice.”

Smith, of no fixed address, was also ordered to pay a £80 victim surcharge and was placed on the sex offenders register for seven years.

He was found guilty after a trial.